This invention relates generally to improvements in a drive assembly for a physically propelled vehicle, and more particularly to an improved bicycle drive assembly.
A heretofore conventional bicycle drive assembly includes a crankshaft having a pedal which is connected to a sprocket, the pedal and crankshaft being turned directly with a rotary motion imparted by the rider. Propelling a bicycle with this conventional drive assembly has certain uncomfortable and inefficient aspects in that the rider must stand up on the pedals and assume a jack-knife position in order to obtain anything approaching effective pedaling power. This new drive assembly smoothly and efficiently controls the rate of pedal force. It further permits all pedaling to be done from a comfortable sitting position, and maximum pedal force to be easily and readily applied while seated. It is no longer necessary to stand up on the pedals in order to get sufficient pedaling power.
There have been some various types of drives developed for driving a bicycle with substantially reciprocating or oscillating pedaling action, but these prior drive assemblies have met with no success because they too are inefficient in their transfer of pedaling power through well-known linkage mechanisms.